


My Beautiful Boy

by blackrose_17



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Death, Dean doesn't like to share Sammy, Demon Dean Winchester, F/M, M/M, Not one of the boys, Sam is addicted to demon blood, and Dean likes it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-30
Updated: 2014-10-30
Packaged: 2018-02-23 04:28:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2534228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackrose_17/pseuds/blackrose_17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There was one thing Dean has known since the moment Sam was placed in his arms; Sam belonged to him and only him. As the years have passed nothing and no one has ever changed that fact and the time has come for Dean to make sure that Sam and everybody else remembers that fact. If he has to, Dean will destroy anyone who stands in his way of claiming Sam, even if that means starting the Apocalypse himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the SamDean -OTP Mini Bang  
> Beta the always wonderful RoyalLadyEmma  
> Art by: xizarx see it here: https://33.media.tumblr.com/250fa7f7a49f9e6e83fa9859a5406c4f/tumblr_nd5jbcbpYd1racez3o1_500.jpg  
> Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over Sam and Dean or anything connected to Supernatural.

_"Dean!"_ A young man cried in desperation, tears rolling down his cheeks as a strong urge to protect and comfort this young man coursed through his body.

 _"Sam is yours to look after, to keep safe."_ His father had given Dean his most prized possession and no other orders were as important as,

 _"Sam is yours."_ Those three words meant more to him than any others he had ever heard because he knew they were the truth.

Trapped on the rack in the depths of hell Dean Winchester clung to those words and to the image of his baby brother in his head with all his might. Everything else he was aware of was lost to the overpowering pain and torture but not Sam and not the knowledge that Sam belonged to him and no one else. He remembered the pure agony that shone in Sam's eyes as he watched him get ripped apart by hellhounds and Dean knew one thing, he would survive this for one reason only: to claim what was his and his alone, no matter how long it would take.

Alistair grinned as he saw the strength in Dean eyes and he had to say with more than a bit of admiration, "That's it, fight me Dean, fight hard. I'm going to enjoy breaking you into tiny pieces over and over again; I'm going to enjoy hearing you scream for me. It will be like music to my ears! Oh I have plans for you boy, big plans." Alistair purred lustfully as his hands caressed his favourite blades and hooks like they were his lovers.

Dean's eyes shone bright with defiance; as long as he could cling to the memory of his Sammy then he could take whatever this demon had to offer and when it was over, he would find his way back to Sam and finally lay claim to what was his. _'Just hang on Sammy; I'll be back soon, I promise.'_

******

Bobby Singer was worried as he looked at the broken shell of the man seated on his couch, he had already been forced to bury Dean, he didn't want to bury Sam as well. He was well aware that the boys only had one another and he had watched with an aching heart as Dean fell to pieces and then sold his soul to get Sam back. He knew that Sam wasn't going to sit back and do nothing while Dean was trapped in hell and it scared Bobby just how far Sam might be willing to go to save his brother's soul.

 _'Those boys were going to drive me to an early grave and I would happily take their place if it meant that they were both safe and happy together, like they should be. Come on, someone give me a sign on how to help Sam, please!’_ Bobby sent his fervent prayer up to anyone who could hear, hoping that just for once someone good was listening. _‘I can't bury both of them.'_

Sam knew that Bobby was worried about him and he felt like he should reassure him in some way, reassure the older man that he was okay but he was simply too numb to do anything about it. Dean was gone and without him he had no clue what to do, where to go from here; the only thing running through Sam's mind was finding a way to save Dean. He knew that Bobby wouldn't approve of anything he came up with, which is why Sam was going to have to do it himself, no matter what it cost him in the end.

Perhaps just as pressing, he also had to apologise to Bobby for threatening him when he suggested they salt and burn Dean's body; it had been a moment of inexcusable behaviour. Sam knew that Bobby was right when he’d declared that Dean deserved the honour of a hunter's funeral but deep in his heart he knew that he could save Dean. If by some small chance he became haunted by Dean's ghost… well, that was just fine with him, at least he would have a piece of his brother back.

 _'I'll find a way to save you Dean, I promise,’_ Sam vowed as he clutched the amulet that hung around his neck so tightly that its edges bit into his skin. Its weight felt wrong, as though reminding him that it wasn't his and never would be; it belonged around no one's neck but his brother's but it was also all he had to hold onto it until he could find his brother and return it to its true owner.

*******

Dean writhed in agony his body arching into impossible positions as searing pain tore a scream from his ripped and bleeding lips. He had been on the rack for years, so long that everything in his life from before had become a fading and distance memory; everything that is except for one thing: the one reason he’d chosen to come to hell and the only reason he absolutely refused to give in.

"Sammy!" The single word echoed through the chamber.

Alistair's eyes glittered with knowledge and slowly a diabolical plan began to form in his mind. _'Oh yes, this could be all kinds of fun!’_ He licked his lips with anticipation.

*******

_Two Months Later_

"Two months, two fucking months and nothing!" Sam scowled fiercely as he threw the book he had been studying for almost an hour away from him and watched it slam against the nearby wall. Nothing! There was nothing in it, just like there had been nothing in the hundreds of books he had already searched through. He had been avoiding Bobby and all the other hunters, deliberately isolating himself; he knew full well that if they learned about what he was doing, they would try and stop him. It hurt to do so, they were all he had left and he wanted their support in his endeavours; they were his only true friends and without Dean around, Bobby had become a second father to him, but as much as it pained him to say it, _nothing_ was more important than saving Dean.

The other hunters and especially Bobby had tried to be supportive but Sam knew they would never understand why he couldn't let this go. They didn't realise – couldn’t comprehend – the amount of guilt Sam carried; it was a metaphorical millstone around his neck and he dragged it along through every waking moment. It was _his_ fault that Dean was trapped in hell; it was _his_ fault that Dean had sold his soul in order to save him. Sam couldn't, no he _wouldn't_ let Dean suffer for him any longer; his brother had already sacrificed so much for him, it was his turn for once.

And in truth Sam needed Dean. He didn't know how to live without his big brother watching out for him, it felt wrong driving the Impala without Dean in the passenger seat bitching about the girly music Sam had chosen. That was precisely why Sam had taken to plugging in his IPod; he could hear Dean's compliments in his ear, giving him nothing but grief for daring to defile his motorised baby with the tasteless noise that Sam would dare to call music. More than once Sam had been forced to pull over to the side of road as the tears welling up in his eyes had made seeing what was right in front of him nearly impossible. He simply could not damage the one thing that had been a home to him and Dean for so long; the Impala was truly all that he had left of Dean.

As images of happier times played through his mind, Sam felt his throat close around a huge lump as he hung his head in his hands. "Just please give me a sign, tell me how I am supposed to save my brother. I'm already dammed why couldn't you have taken me instead? I need Dean and I won't quit until he is back." Despite his threat Sam was at his wit’s end over what to do or where to go. No demon would deal with him and he’d approached plenty of them. He had offered himself up on a silver plate for Lilith, positive that she would jump at the chance to have him and even _she_ wasn't biting. Sam was literally running out of ideas but he would not give up; this is his brother, his only living flesh and blood, and if he had to, he would rip open the gates of hell with his bare hands to save Dean.

There was only one thing he hadn't done however, something he’d sworn he would never do, he had given Dean his promise that he would never reach out to Ruby for help but now, after he had exhausted every possible lead, he had nothing left. "It looks like I'm going to have to make a deal with a demon after all, Dean. I hope you can forgive me." Reaching up Sam clutched the amulet around his neck, the amulet that Dean had worn around his neck so many years and one that Sam would wear with pride until he could return it to its rightful owner.

*******

Alistair studied his most prized student, this was the kind of leader that hell truly needed. He knew why Dean had finally cracked, just as he knew that the only thing keeping him from losing his hold on his humanity was the very same reason that Dean was in hell: Sam Winchester. Throughout the centuries Alistair had seen soul mates do incredibly stupid things to save one another, if the bond was strong enough and of all those he had seen none were stronger than Dean and Sam Winchester's.

He knew he was meant to be breaking Dean in order to start the Apocalypse but he saw great potential in Dean's all-consuming need to protect and save Sam and he knew such passion could easily be twisted into something far greater. _'Who needs the devil when I can make my own king?'_ A wicked smirk slowly made its way onto Alistair's face, he had plenty of time on his hands in which to mold the new king and he knew just how to do it.

It was no secret to anyone who knew them that Dean was extremely possessive over his brother and that he absolutely did not share Sam well with others. Someone once said that a little knowledge was a dangerous thing and Alistair knew that when Dean discovered that Ruby was sinking her claws into a valuable Sam well, let’s just say that’s all it would take.

"Dean,” Alistair gave his captive a shark-like smile, “how would you like it if I told you there was a way to be reunited with Sam?” His smile never reached his eyes as he continued, “how would you feel if you could play the heroic big brother and save him from being turned into a mindless addict?"

Dean's green eyes flashed with possessiveness and protection and in that instant Alistair knew that he had Dean well under his control. "What do you mean? My Sammy would never do something so foolish! Why should I believe a word you say? You're a demon, you lie, it's in your nature." Even as he spoke brave words, Dean’s mind played tricks on him; _‘What if he’s actually telling the truth? What if Sammy’s in danger?’_

"Not even to save you?” Shaking his head, Alistair tisked mockingly. “I find that quite hard to believe. Why there isn’t a soul in all of hell who doesn’t know that there is nothing and no one that the Winchester brothers would put above one another.” Alistair walked over and ran his fingers down the side of Dean’s face. “What if there was a demon out there right now who was cruel enough to use Sam's desperate need to save you…” The demon interrupted himself to say, “it really is his one true weakness you know. Pity that…” his voice trailed off for a moment as he looked off into the distance. Then his gaze snapped back to Dean; “Where was I? Oh yes, the demon… using that need, twisting it in order to wrap Sam around their finger. After all, without you, his big brother, his knight in shining armour, his beacon in the night, Sam is lost and helpless."

Alistair was extraordinarily proud of the primitive growl that tore itself free from Dean's lips. "Tell me who the bitch is so I can rip them apart for daring to touch my Sammy!" Dean demanded his voice rising to a bellow.

It didn't escape the demon's attention one little bit the possessive undertone on the word ‘my’ and really, hadn’t it been a surprise to learn that the brothers had never once crossed that line; anyone with eyes could see that they were far more than mere brothers.

"I believe you know Ruby? She’s been sniffing around your brother for a long time now and with you here enjoying my… hospitality shall we say, there's no one to protect him from her." Alistair took great joy in watching hate flare in Dean's eyes.

Dean knew, he knew right down to his bones that he shouldn't trust the demon standing before him, that anything and everything he told him was based on lies but at the same time he remembered the way that particular demon would look at his Sammy, like she was just waiting for Dean to be dragged down to hell so that she could dig her claws into Sam. If, and it was a pretty big if, Alistair was telling the truth then Dean couldn't waste any more time. There was simply no way that Dean could take the chance that someone was going to harm his Sam. Sam was undeniably his and only his. Casting a prayer to the heavens that he wasn’t making a cataclysmic mistake, Dean looked Alistair straight in the eye and demanded, "Tell me what I need to do."

Barely able to stop his eyes from rolling Alistair grinned, _'Really, angels should know better than to believe that demons would play by their rules.'_ Twisting Dean to his will would be very beneficial to them, there was no denying that fact. Dean would bring their Boy King to them and in one fell swoop the side of good would lose two of their greatest warriors. Starting the Apocalypse would be so much easier with both Winchesters firmly on board.

*******

Sam glanced down at the phone in his hand, Bobby's name was flashing up at him, he knew the other man was worried about him, Bobby must have known that Sam was going to do something very, very stupid. Sam's finger hovered over the answer button for a moment before he hit ignore. "I'm sorry Bobby, but this is something I have to do and you can’t stop me," Sam murmured as he regretfully slipped the phone back into his jacket.

"Well, well this _is_ a surprise, you actually came. I will admit that for a while I didn't think I would ever be hearing from you." Following the sound of the voice, Sam stared at the unfamiliar woman who came out of the shadows.

Sam's brows furrowed together. "Ruby?" he asked hesitantly.

"Got it in one, cutie. Now what is this little summons about? I have things to do you know." Ruby crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow; she wasn't a fool, she knew precisely why Sam was standing in front of her: he was out of options in rescuing Dean.

Reminding himself that he was doing this for his brother, Sam summoned all his courage, swallowed hard and said, "I need your help in to rescue Dean from hell."

Ruby grinned like a cat who’d gotten the cream; she had Sam right where she needed him. "And my help in killing Lilith?" but it wasn’t a question as much as a statement of fact.

Sam shook his head firmly. Although deep in his heart he wanted to kill Lilith for stealing his brother from him, he couldn't focus on revenge, not now, not with so much at stake. He would go after Lilith only _after_ Dean was returned to him. "Lilith can wait until Dean is safely back and then I'll go after her."

Ruby narrowed her eyes and studied Sam closely for a moment. She could see the pure determination in his eyes and knew that there was no changing his mind; he was determined to follow this course of action. Nodding to herself Ruby decided that she could still work with what she had; all she needed to give Sam was the one thing that he would surely believe that he would need to save Dean.

"There is a way to make you more powerful, to save Dean yourself," Ruby began in a cautious tone as if imparting a secret of the gravest importance and she knew that Sam was hers the moment she saw interest flash in his eyes.

Working desperately hard to tamp down his impatience, Sam brusquely asked, "When do we start?" He was done wasting time.

 _'Gotcha!'_ Ruby purred in her head. "Well, I suppose we could start right away, if you’re ready. By the way, do you have a hotel room nearby?" She found Sam's confusion rather adorable and it made him so easy to twist to her needs. _'Oh yes, this is going to be a lot of fun.'_ By the time she was done Sam would be so full of the need for revenge that nothing, not even Dean would matter.


	2. Chapter 2

_Two Months Later or Forty Hell Years Later_

The sky uttered a deathly howl as the Earth beneath it trembled violently as it split apart and one of Hell's doors blow open as the new King of Hell crawled out of his grave.

Dirt and mud covered Dean's face and body but he didn't care; he was finally topside, feeling the sun on his face, and it was time for him to claim his mate and consort and even raise a little hell while he was at it. "I'm coming for you, baby boy and nothing will stand in my way from claiming what is rightfully mine," Dean vowed as his eyes flickered a soulless shade of black.

After being trapped in hell for forty years, it felt so different being topside. Most notably, Dean realised that he had forgotten the sound of sheer silence, there were no tortured screams filling his ears. The air was clean and fresh, there was no scent of blood burning his nostrils. For a moment Dean simply basked in the sunlight letting it heat his flesh to the point of pain only to have a gentle breeze cool his skin. Even though he knew he had things to do, he lingered, relishing the moment; after so long in the pit, he had forgotten how warm and nourishing the sun felt on his skin. Finally, Dean reluctantly roused himself because as nice as it was to lie there without a care in the world, there was actually another hunger burning deep within his soul and he needed to find what he was looking for.

Being a man blessed with common sense, Dean would be the first to admit that he didn't come out of hell the same man he was when he went in. No, he came back different, more powerful and pardon the pun, with a hell of a lot of demons ready to serve his every need. But none of that mattered now, he had to find Sam and keep him away from those dicks known as angels. Once they learned who the new King of Hell was there was no doubt they would go after his chosen Consort and there was absolutely no way that Dean was going to let that happen.

Looking at the unearthly throng that now surrounded him Dean growled out his orders. "Send word, I want everyone hunting for Sammy and that demon bitch Ruby! I want them found as soon as possible or heads will roll the longer my mate is kept from me!"

The demons who had dug him up nodded their heads eagerly; they did not want to be the first to earn their King's wrath or to end up on the top of their new leader’s list like Ruby was.

"I'm back, Sammy, and it's time to take what's mine," Dean vowed his eyes shining black for a moment as he lost control of himself; it was something he did whenever he thought about that nefarious bitch sinking her filthy claws into his mate. _'It won't be long now Sammy, soon you will be back where you belong even if I have to lay waste to everyone and everything that comes between us.'_

******

Sam didn't know why he felt so on edge; it was as if his entire body was tingling, coming to life, awaiting something that would change his future.

Of course this wasn't the first time he felt like he was going to come out of his skin, ever since he’d taken Ruby up on her offer, Sam hadn't felt like himself. In fact just thinking about what he was doing with Ruby caused a wave of bitter bile to rise up in his throat, but he knew that if he continually reminded himself everything he was doing was for Dean, then he could and would endure whatever he had to for as long as he had to until it brought Dean back to him.

Despite his silent pep talk and his mental attempts to separate his mind from his body during yet another distasteful and distressing session with Ruby, Sam had locked himself away in the bathroom the moment the demon was gone. Standing beneath scalding hot water Sam scrubbed his skin raw to the point of bleeding as he tried to rid his body of her cloying scent and rid his memory of her lingering touch. Again and again he washed himself, staying in the shower until at last the water ran cold and skin turned blue but he didn’t care; he already felt dirty enough, he didn't need any reminders.

_'Remember this is for Dean, you're doing all this to save Dean,’_ Sam repeated his daily reminder that he was enduring such torment for his brother, a man he would do anything to help. The fact that he was deliberately allowing himself to become addicted to demon blood meant that he was strong enough to save Dean from hell or to at least kill Lilith for putting his brother there.

So lost in his desperate need to be clean and his mental encouragement Sam never heard the endless and strident ringing of his phone, as its caller tried urgently again and again to get in contact with him.

*******

"Sam, come on boy! It's been almost four months since I last talked to you; let me know you’re still alive, son. Something big has gone down and there are signs of demons everywhere; you need to be careful. Just call me, let me know you’re still breathing… please." Bobby left his message and hung up his phone with an exasperated albeit heartfelt sigh.

"Balls!” the older man cursed. “You idgit, you better not have done anything stupid, boy." In all his years Bobby had only see one other person as numb and broken as Sam and that had been Dean when Sam had been dead. He’d always known that the boys were connected by a bond far deeper than most people ever experienced and now it was destroying Sam to be without Dean.

It had been tough for Bobby to stand by helplessly and watch Dean suffer and miss his brother, and Sam had been only dead three days before Dean made his deal. But this time things were different; Dean had been gone for months and Sam was still no closer to saving him than the last time they’d spoken and it was only through various reports from other hunters who’d seen Sam that Bobby even knew the kid was okay.

_'I just hope to hell you know what you’re doing Sam,’_ Bobby shook his head sadly. _‘Destroying yourself to bring Dean back won't change anything if we lose you in the process. Don’t you realise that will just start the circle all over again?’_ Bobby’s heart was heavy with regret and uncertainty; it felt like he was losing both of his boys because whatever Sam was up to, he clearly wasn't living.

******

Dean was growing impatient; it had been two weeks since he’d escaped from hell and there was still no sign of Sam. He was losing his patience, he wanted Sam where he belonged and he wanted him there now! Looking out over the demons that trembled in fear around him Dean demanded answers. "Have you found him or that bitch yet?" His question was met with nothing but shuffled feet and downcast eyes. “Well?!” the King of Hell thundered angrily.

Finally the uneasy silence was broken when one of the braver demons shook his head. "I'm sorry sire, we have not yet found them although the search goes on as we speak.” A murmur of agreement swept through the group. “We believed that Ruby knows we are looking for her and has gone into hiding as your brother is a Winchester he will not be easily tracked down," he pointed out, hoping that Dean would see the truth in his words and not punish him.

Even though he was incredibly angry that Sam was not yet with him, Dean still felt an immense sense of pride filling him as he thought about his brother's cleverness. At the same time though he wanted to curse loudly because it was those same skills as a hunter that were keeping his stubborn brother from claiming his rightful place at his side. "Damn it Sammy, why do you have to be so good?" Dean swore under his breath.

If the information he’d been given was true, and he knew it was because no one was foolish enough to challenge or lie to him, Sam had been drinking Ruby's demon blood and had become addicted to it. Soon he would be going into withdrawal, a process of agonising suffering which could cost him his sanity if not his life, and Dean wanted to be there before it caused Sam too much.

Returning his attention to the demons nervously shuffling their feet as they wait for him to speak, the King of Hell announced, "I don't care what it takes, I want Sam Winchester found by the end of this week or I'm going to start getting nasty." Dean’s eyes flickered soulless black and a wicked smirk appeared on his face.

Without exception the demons trembled before their new king; for so long the Winchesters had been the thing of nightmares, the boogie-men for their kind, they were what the monsters feared most. As a hunter Dean was already dangerous enough but now that he was their king he had become deadly and only a fool would dare cross him. Already renowned for their ‘every-demon-for-himself’ attitude, not one single demon dared to help Ruby, there was a bull’s-eye on her back and they all knew she was a dead demon walking. Nor would they offer any help to Lilith who was frantically trying to raise an army who would help her to stand against Dean.

Many of them had learned the hard way, through damage, dismemberment and death, that you can't keep a Winchester down and they believed that if Dean brought them their boy king then they would support him, no matter what. After all Sam was supposed to rule them and it was a widely held belief amongst the demons that with both the Winchester's leading them heaven didn't stand a chance in hell.

*******

It was inevitable that the rumours would reach Ruby’s ears; coming at her from every direction and every source, they whispered that Dean was back, that he had returned from hell a completely different man than when he went in. She knew that time on the rack under Alistair's exquisitely diabolical hand would do that to a man, but the rumours also said that Dean was even more dangerous than ever before, beyond what he was as a hunter.

Ruby wasn’t stupid; she was well aware that Dean was looking for her and Sam; she’d known he would from the moment she’d taken on Sam. _'Damn it!’_ No matter where she turned she could sense eyes just watching and waiting. _‘There is no way that I can get to Sam without alerting someone.'_ The situation was definitely not good for Ruby's plans; in order to keep Sam firmly under her control she needed to maintain a regular feeding schedule. Sooner rather than later her little addict was going to need his fix and if Dean and his minions got to Sam before she did, he could undo all her hard work.

She was nobody’s fool. Even before she’d taken on the task of addicting Sam, she’d known that Dean hated her with a passion that at time bordered on psychotic and she knew that Dean was just chomping at the bit, waiting for her to make the slightest mistake that would allow him to take her out. Despite Dean’s new influence over the demons, Ruby still had a pitiful few that were loyal to her and from what she heard, being destroyed wasn't a pleasurable experience. She had to be more careful now than ever before; nearly every demon in the land was looking for her, if only to curry favour with the new king.

Wisely but sadly the demon decided that nothing was more important than her survival, not even her own pleasure. "Sorry Sam, but you're just not worth me sticking my neck out for," she said regretfully. Ruby would certainly miss the sex with Sam, there really was just something about the stamina and enthusiasm of a young man, even if it was Dean's name he called out when he came. If were any way she could have used that particular fact against Dean she would have but everyone in the supernatural world knew that Dean and Sam were either are lovers or well on their way to becoming so.

Unfortunately she knew perfectly well that that juicy little nugget of information wouldn’t do her any good at all; letting Dean know that Sam was imagining his face, his body, when having sex with someone else would only feed the demon king’s ego and libido. There were other downfalls she could think of as well; one, it would make it seem like she couldn't satisfy a man and two, Dean would no doubt rip her apart for sleeping with Sam in the first place and then bring her back just to do it all over again.

No, as much as she had enjoyed her little dalliance with him, Sam Winchester simply wasn't worth the dangers he now brought with him. Besides, in the long run, she would much rather be on Lilith's bad side than Dean's; she might make Ruby suffer, but chances were good that Lilith wouldn’t kill her. "Don't worry father, this is just a minor setback, I will get Sam in the end," Ruby promised as she vanished.

*******

Sam knew that he’d inexplicably fallen into the depths of hell. Every inch of his body hurt and he was in so much pain that he couldn't hide the whimpers of misery or the cries of pain that escaped his lips. As he curled up on the motel bed, tangled in sweat-soaked sheets, Sam knew he wouldn't be disturbed no matter how much noise he made. After driving for as long as he could while his gut ate itself inside out, he had pulled into the first seedy, rundown, disreputable roadside motel he’d spotted. It was one whose main clientele were the ‘pay-by-the-hour’ type but there were still had a few rooms available for the weary traveller and as he parked Sam noticed that the parking lot was nearly empty; he figured he was one of maybe ten guests but he still made sure to get the room at the very end, as far away from everyone else as he could get.

Sam had been grateful that the symptoms of withdrawal hadn't started until he’d neared a city; he hadn't wanted to damage the Impala by having an accident during one of his more violent shaking spells. He noticed that his hands were trembling as he steered the car into the parking lot and a quick glance at himself in the rear view mirror told him that anywhere else he would have gotten odd, disgusted or sympathetic looks, but dives like this didn't bat an eye to someone clearly going through withdrawal.

Unable to meet the desk clerk’s eye yet still knowing his pock-marked face wore a knowing smirk, Sam made sure that he paid for the room for a full week. He’d been trying to get a hold of Ruby since the muscle cramps started but to no avail and he knew that if she didn't show up in the next day or so, then he was going to need the rest of the week at least to battle the withdrawal symptoms. Without Ruby there was no way he could get the fix he so desperately needed unless he went out looking for a stray demon that would let him drink their blood. Sam retained enough of his mental faculties to have serious doubts that any of them would let him get close enough to ask and in his weakened state he knew he’d be no match should they attack him. No, he realised with a violent shudder that he was going to have to ride this out on his own if he couldn't find Ruby.

Across the street and hidden in the shadow of a derelict building, a set of jet black eyes watched gleefully as the youngest Winchester nearly fell out of his car before staggering drunkenly to his room, and when it took his prey nearly three minutes to get his key into the lock and the door open, the watcher had to choke back a sharp bark of laughter. Oh but his king was going to be very pleased with this news and if he was truly lucky, the bearer of such good tiding would certainly be handsomely rewarded.


	3. Chapter 3

The withdrawal from the demon blood was happening much faster than Sam thought it would as he curled up on the bed. He was in utter misery one moment and piercing agony the next as his body began to shiver and shake more and more violently. Through sheer force of will he had been with it enough to place the protective salt lines on the door and window sills; already exhausted beyond anything he’d ever experienced before, it had taken him far longer – dangerously longer – than it should have to draw his last line of defence, a devil's trap.

Sam was weak and on the edge of complete collapse by the time he managed to fall on to the bed. Whimpering with relief that he was off his feet again, he tugged weakly at the blanket and wrapped himself up like a baby; he wasn't a fool, he knew he was in for a rough time. Tears pooled in Sam's eyes as he prayed that the one person he needed above all else would miraculously appear before him. When nothing happened, the most broken-sounding "Dean," fell from Sam's lips and he didn't bother to hide his tears as he sobbed into his pillow.

*******

Staring down from his throne at the groveling demon before him, Dean could hardly believe what he was hearing. After weeks of fruitless searching and hundreds of false sightings, his Sammy had finally been found! However, the rest of the news the demon had delivered had that happiness; in fact it had pissed him off royally.

As if she hadn’t already done enough to ruin the lives of the Winchester boys, Ruby had gotten his brother addicted to demon blood and then, just to save her own skin she’d vanished, leaving Sam high and dry from the demon’s description, clearly suffering. While Dean’s blood boiled with the need for revenge on her for doing that to his little brother he also knew that the situation could actually work in his favour. The effects of demon blood were very short-lived and it sounded as if Sam must be seriously hurting and in dire need of a fix.

Dean sat back in quiet contemplation for a few minutes and then his eyes lit up with a wicked gleam and a slow smirk appeared on his face. "Don't worry, baby boy, big brother's coming to the rescue and he’s going to make everything all better."

*******

Every cell of his body ached from the inside out and the outside in and as he lay in a puddle of his own fever sweat, Sam wondered if this was what hell felt like, if this was even a small part of what Dean was enduring. He whimpered at the knowledge and guilt that his brother was most certainly suffering torture far worse than anything he could go through on earth. "Dean, I'm so sorry, forgive me for failing you," he sobbed hopelessly.

Sam started violently as he felt a calloused hand running gently through his hair; _‘Oh great! So now the hallucinations begin,’_ he thought mirthlessly. _‘That’s all I need now,”_ but when the voice came, the wonderful, beautiful, voice he’d longed to hear for four months drifted to his ears, he whimpered like a lost child. "There's nothing to forgive, baby boy, I know you did your best to find me."

The loving touch felt so real, the soft words sounded so real and Sam wanted so very desperately to believe that his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him. Although he knew that when he opened his eyes he would still be horribly alone in a roach-infested shithole of a motel room, he wearily forced himself to face the reality of his situation and what he saw filled his eyes to overflowing with more scalding hot tears. “It’s not possible,” he whispered in disbelief, reaching out to the man sitting next to him. “You can’t be here!”

A small, slightly amused smile appeared on Dean's face even though his eyes held nothing but worry. "Hi ya, Sammy, did you miss me?"

Ignoring the stinging sweat that trickled into his eyes, Sam could only gape in utter amazement at the man before him; it simply wasn't possible, there was no way that Dean could be here. No, this was clearly another trick of his imagination caused Ruby’s blood.

“What’s wrong, can’t believe your own eyes?” With an indulgent chuckle, Dean brushed the tears from his brother’s cheeks. “I have to say, this isn’t how I figured we’d meet up again.”

"Dean? Is that really you?" Sam’s throat was painfully dry and his voice cracked as he asked not daring to really hope, he was sure that his mind was playing tricks on him, again. He wouldn't be surprised if this was nothing more than a cruel hallucination, yet one more element of withdrawal. It would be just like Ruby to make his own mind torture him with the image of the one person he longed to see the most. His shoulders were shaking with a new round of sobs as Sam shook his head and like a weak newborn kitten he shuffled away from the hand that was so tenderly running through his hair. It broke his heart because the hallucination was comforting him just like Dean used to do when he was sick or hurt and he so desperately wanted to believe but… "No, you're not real."

It pained Dean very deeply to see his baby brother so lost and broken; he’d been looking after his sibling since the day he was born and he vowed that once he had Sam safe and sound he would make sure that Ruby was ripped apart by his hellhounds, then he would put her back together and rip her apart piece by piece with his own bare hands. But right now however, she didn't matter; what did was Sam. "It's me, Sammy, I promise you, I'm really here and I'm going to help you, baby boy, I promise."

Looking around the dismal room Dean realised that Sam was clearly worse off than he’d first thought; his sharp eyes didn’t miss the fact that Sam hadn't made a solid salt line on the door or the window sill, and the vitally important devil’s trap hadn't been properly completed either. Even the tiniest gap in design would allow anyone or anything to just walk in and with Sam in such a weakened state he’d be unable to defend himself in any way.

Dean knew that for both their sakes, he needed to get Sam somewhere safe as fast as possible and he thanked anything that might be listening that his other baby was sitting right outside the door, waiting to take them away from Sam’s version of hell.

Feeling strong arms grasp him and pull him against a firm chest, Sam look up at Dean with a tiny glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Dean, is it really you? Have you really come back to me?" he asked in a soft voice as he reached up to claw at Dean’s shirt. "Or am I finally dead and joining you in hell?"

Encouraged by the look in Sam’s eyes and unable to stop himself from breaking his ‘no-chick-flick-moments’, coupled with the simple fact that he’d waited so long for this moment, Dean lowered his head and pressed a loving kiss onto Sam's forehead. He breathed in the scent of his brother – oh, how he’d missed that smell! – and then he fought back a vicious growl as he caught the faint but still lingering scent of Ruby; that had to change and soon.

"Yeah, Sammy, it's really me. I know you're feeling like hell right now but I have something that can help you out, okay?” It took some effort but Dean managed to pull Sam’s hands off of his shirt so that he could slip his hand under Sam's pillow. It took a moment but he was inordinately pleased to feel the familiar cold steel beneath it; Sam might have been out of it but at least he remembered to place his hunting knife under his pillow.

Pulling the knife out Dean brought it to his other arm and slowly cut into the flesh of his wrist, he didn't even flinch at the feel of the blade slicing his skin; he had experienced worse things at the hands of Alistair. Once the cut was deep enough and his blood was flowing freely he brought his bleeding wrist to Sam's mouth. "Drink, Sammy," he ordered in a tone that he knew Sam would not ignore.

Still reeling from the fact that his brother had come back to him, Sam was at first startled when he felt something warm dripping into his mouth but then a familiar hunger surged within him and not needing to be told twice Sam latched on to the warm skin of Dean's wrist and greedily licked the flowing blood. As it slid down his throat Sam felt it start easing the horrible cramps in his gut and calming the racing beat of his heart. It just felt so right to be sharing his brother’s life force, unlike when he fed from Ruby, which made him feel cheap, dirty and unbearably guilty.

Dean moaned at the erotic feeling of Sam's lips warm and soft on his skin and he watched with glazed eyes as Sam licked at his flesh and drank his blood. Oh yeah, he could see why Ruby had fallen into bed with his baby brother; this was hot and oh so seductive and it made his groin tighten with anticipation. However, those days with Ruby were long over, _‘the_ _only one that_ _Sam will be_ _getting_ _his fix from is_ _me!’_ "That's it, baby boy, drink as much as you need," Dean purred out in a huskily low growl, struggling to control his almost overwhelming urge to claim his mate here and now; it was plain to see that Sam was far too gone to enjoy anything like that tonight.

As the salty nectar flowed down his parched throat, Sam moaned in pure bliss. If this was a hallucination he didn't want it to ever, ever end; he’d finally found heaven on earth. His fingers curled tighter around Dean's arm, digging into his flesh, holding it firmly to his lips as he drank every drop of the thick, rich blood; he could feel it coursing through his veins, nourishing him, strengthening him, replenishing his soul. Ruby's demon blood was nothing compared to Dean's; Sam could feel the Dean’s love for him pulsing in every drop, saturating his body and could feel himself getting hard.

Sensing his brother’s returning strength and growing lust Dean watched with hungry, eager eyes the effect he was having on Sam. "Soon, baby boy, once we get you better I'll give you whatever you need," Dean promised and as an erotic shudder went through his body he knew that part he was looking forward to above all else.

Time had taken on strange dimensions thanks to his withdrawal so Sam didn't know how long he laid there in Dean’s arms drinking, allowing the warm blood to flow like a delicious live-giving river down his throat but eventually his shakes began to slow and his shivering stopped. He felt sleep slowly overtaking him; his body was heavy and languid and his vision was growing fuzzy as he looked at his brother. He blinked, trying to remain awake; what if he woke up and discovered that seeing Dean again had all been a dream?

_‘He looks like he’s six years old again and resisting nap time,’_ Dean looked on indulgently as his little brother struggled against the pull of the sandman. "Don't fight it, Sammy, just let sleep claim you and when you awake you’ll be somewhere safe." Dean wasn't surprised to see Sam getting so drowsy; he’d had a tough couple of days, _‘At least,’_ he thought ruefully, and it had the added benefit of making it so much easier to move Sam.

Struggling mightily to keep his sleep-filled eyes open and focussed, Sam looked up at Dean. "You'll still be here when I wake up?" There was a very noticeable element of fear in Sam's voice, fear that this was nothing more than a new form of torture his blood-starved mind had thought up.

Dean immediately grasped what was going through Sam’s head and his eyes softened with understanding. "Yeah, I'll still be here when you wake up, I promise; I'm not going anywhere," Dean’s tone was gentle as he vowed stroking his brother’s forehead.

That was enough for Sam and he let his eyes flutter shut. "Okay, love you, Dean."

Strong emotions filled Dean as he watched his brother’s face relax and he fought back the urge to make Sam his then and there. "I love you too, Sammy."

Dean waited until Sam was sound asleep before daring to remove his arms from around him; grimacing at their surroundings, it didn't take him long to pack up the meagre belongings that Sam had brought in with him. When he opened Sam's bag he found the keys to the Impala, and next to them, carefully wrapped in an old, worn-out T-shirt, Dean discovered his amulet and silver ring tucked safely away. The sight of them caused Dean’s breathe to catch in his throat and he choked on a sudden rush of tears. Knowing that his brother had not only kept them but had kept them safe meant more to him than Sam keeping his other baby in perfect shape. Swiping a hand across his damp cheeks Dean turned his gaze back to the sleeping Sam. "Don't worry, Sammy, I promise no one and nothing will ever separate us again," and for a moment the King of Hell’s eyes turned into black orbs.

******

It was a testament to how truly exhausted Sam really was that he didn't wake up, didn’t even stir a muscle, as Dean bundled him into his jacket and carried him out to beloved Impala. Dean was thankful that his new demon side gave him the strength to carry his Sasquatch of a little brother – a giggle burst from his lips as he remembered the day he gave Sam that nickname –without dropping him. Moments later Sam was safely tucked in the passenger seat of the Impala with his seatbelt snug and his bag in the backseat.

His heart was beating a mile a minute and there was a noticeable tremble in his hand as Dean opened the car door and slipped into the driver’s seat and as he settled into the worn leather he sighed happily; it felt like he had never left. Looking around at the familiar interior, he reached out and caressed the dashboard, “I’m back, baby,” he murmured as he adjusted the rear view mirror. As he put the key into the ignition a horrible sacrilege caught his eye: Sam‘s IPod was hooked up to his radio.

Dean shot a fiery glare at his brother. "We are _so_ going to have words, baby boy! Nobody defiles my other baby and gets away with it." Suddenly highly aroused, Dean couldn't help but lick his lips as he pictured just what kind of punishment he was had in store for his naughty brother.

Dean turned the key and then closed his eyes as the engine began to purr, the vibration going straight to his groin, increasing his desire. Shaking his head, Dean put the car in gear and pulled the Impala out of the motel parking lot, silently vowing that this would be the last time that Sam ever had to sleep in such a disgusting place; idly he wondered what kind of vermin might be lurking in Sam’s suitcase or on Sam, for that matter. _‘Those places are riddled with bedbugs,’_ he shuddered violently at the thought. So caught up in the idea of giving Sam a bath as soon as they got home, Dean failed to noticed the glowing eyes following his departure, eyes filled with stunned disbelief.

As he watched the red tail lights fading into the distance, Rufus Turner cursed long and loud under his breath as he struggled to get out his phone and for a moment he wondered if his eyes were going but dismissed the notion. There was no mistaking that car or its notorious driver. Finding his phone he fumbled it from his pocket before collecting himself and taking a deep calming breath then he quickly flipped through the list and pressed the right contact. "Come on, come on!" Rufus murmured anxiously under his breath as he trailed the Impala as far as he could with his eyes.

"What do you want now?" Bobby's put-out voice came over the line, a sound which normally that would have had Rufus grinning from ear to ear while he while he gave his old friend a hard time but this was not the time for frivolity, not today.

"Bobby, I found Sam and he’s with Dean." Unable to stop himself, Rufus blurted out the news; he knew how much the Winchester boys meant to Bobby just as he knew that there was no delicate way to break this news to Bobby.

After a heartbeat of heavy, pregnant silence Bobby demanded in a rough voice, "Where are you?"

Rufus didn't waste time by telling Bobby his current location. "Bobby, they’ll be long gone by the time you get here," he warned. “We need to…”

Bobby interrupted his old friend. "I know that but there are other hunters in the area and trust me, news of Dean's return won't be kept a secret for long; if you've already seen him then that boy isn't even trying to hide. Besides, we don't even know that that’s the real Dean and if he’s not, then that means that Sam is in more danger than we realise." Bobby voice went hard with unspoken implications; there was no way that he was going to lose Sam.

After a few more minutes of discussion, Rufus finished his call and let out a low whistle. "For your sake you better be the real Dean, otherwise your life ain’t gonna be worth shit. I don't even want to image what Bobby would do to you if you've hurt Sam in any way."

While Rufus was muttering to himself he completely failed to notice that like Dean before him, he too was being watched from the shadows.

"Well this isn't good,” the figure muttered as he sucked on his lollypop. “You boys never can do anything the easy way, can you?" He felt a thrill of excitement; things were about to get real interesting real fast and as usual Sam and Dean Winchester were going to be smack dab in the middle of it all. "Old Zachariah isn't going to like this,” and he chuckled as a sudden through struck. “I wonder if an angel’s head can explode from high blood pressure? It would be worth the price of admission to watch that. I wonder though, will there be less death with Dean running the show?"


	4. Chapter 4

Dean made sure to keep Sam firmly and safely in the land of dreams as he moved his two babies to their new home. He knew there was going to be questions and a lot of them, and he would answer all of Sam's questions in time although to be truthful Dean was a little worried about how Sam was going to take the news that he wasn't the same older brother that had been dragged into the depths of hell. "I can't lose you, Sammy, so please don't turn away from me." Dean heard a definite hint of vulnerability show in his voice; he didn't think he could survive if Sam refused to accept him as he was.  

With a snort and a snuffle, Sam shifted in his sleep so that he was facing his older brother and a soft, "Dean," escaped Sam's lips as he unconsciously yet instinctively moved closer to the remembered warmth that Dean offered.

Smiling with delight, Dean reached out and wrapped an affectionate arm around Sam's shoulders and pulled him flush against his side. "I don't have to worry do I? You're already mine, aren't you?" Dean's grip tightened with the knowledge that Sam belonged solely to him.

It seemed like hours before Dean pulled up to the house he had ‘acquired’ when he first got topside; he’d chosen it specifically because it looked like a place where he and Sam could be happy together. _‘Maybe_ _I’ll get Sam a dog or two;’_ he had a feeling that his brother would like that. Even as a kid Sam had had a soft spot for dogs, he was always bringing home every stray he found. But first things first; he had to make Sam his mate and then deal with those blasted angels and their apocalypse. There was no way that he was going to let them get their hands on his baby brother, not after waiting forty years in hell to see him again.

Pulling into the driveway Dean was grateful to see that his minions were nowhere to be seen, he wasn't ready to explain to Sammy that he was the new King of Hell until Sam was his mate. Making sure that Sam was still asleep Dean manoeuvred Sam’s limp form into his arms and carried him into the house bridal-style. "Man, if you were awake I would be rubbing this in, you are _so_ the girl in our relationship, Sammy." Dean could already see the flustered look and the bitchface he would get from his brother; with a broad almost giddy smirk he knew he would have to do this again when Sam was awake just to see the look of sheer horror and embarrassment in his eyes.

It felt so right, so incredibly natural seeing Sam laid out on his bed, like he was meant to be there and while he would never be a cuddler in any sense of the word, Dean knew that Sam had always slept better with some part of him touching Dean, whether it was curled up in his arms like when he was a baby or just his foot resting against the back of Dean’s thigh.

As he pulled the covers up over his brother, Dean took a deep whiff of Sam's scent and his chest rumbled with a dangerous growl. He could smell her, that demon bitch’s smell still clung to his Sam's skin like a poison and it made him sick. He would have to deal with her and soon, but first he needed to remove her stench from Sam's skin and replace it with his own clean scent. "Soon, baby boy, soon you will be mine forever."

Dean would have preferred to be out there, taking care of the other little problems that needed to be dealt with but he’d promised Sam that he would be there when he woke up. If it weren’t for his determination to keep his word, he would be dealing with Ruby and the angels right now.

******

To say that Zachariah wasn't happy with the news he was being told was a complete understatement; his carefully plotted out apocalypse was being ruined, all thanks to one person. "Why is it always the Winchesters that cause all the trouble? Why did they have to be the perfect vessels? Still it doesn't matter; I refuse to let the new King of Hell destroy all my hard work. The apocalypse will start on time no matter what it takes!" Zachariah growled fiercely under his breath. He was going to see to it that his life-long dream came true even if it meant having to get his hands dirty by making sure that those boys knew their places in the world once and for all.

******

Awareness slowly returned to Sam and as he stretched and yawned he realised that he was experiencing a deep feeling of peace that he hadn't felt since Dean had been dragged off to hell. He noticed that he was surrounded by a delicious warmth and as he thought about that he found a familiar scent invading his senses. Sudden arrived clarity and Sam's eyes shot open; the last thing he remembered clearly was checking into a filthy flea-bag of a motel and crashing in a bed that stank of stale sweat and urine. Instead of the peeling wallpaper and stained carpeting he expected to see, he found himself staring into a pair of sparkling green eyes. "Dean?"

"Hey ya, Sammy boy, nice of you to finally join me," Dean purred seductively as he gently stroked Sam's cheek with his fingertips.

Sam's eyes fluttered close as he enjoyed the long-missed comfort and he leaned into the touch for a moment before reality set in and he forced himself to pull away, earning a deep sigh from Dean as the other man forced himself up off the bed.

He could see the suspicion in Sam’s eyes and he signed again. "I suppose this is the part where you demand if I'm really your big brother and you’re going to want proof that I'm not a demon or shape shifter or something else equally nasty, right? Well I'm telling you right now, Sammy, I ain't the same as when I went down." As if to prove his point, Dean let his eyes flicker black for a moment.

Although he was tangled in the bedcovers, Sam scrambled back away from Dean as quickly as he could. He wasn't sure how to act when every inch of him was screaming at him that this was his brother but the eyes… surely it was just a trick of the light. Cautiously, as though approaching a wild animal, Sam moved a tiny bit closer. "Dean, have you really come back to me?"

"It's me, Sammy, I promise you." Dean was hopeful that this Sam was asking questions instead of running away meant that he was willing to accept him, all of him. "How about I show you?" Dean's voice dropped into a seductive purr as he moved towards the bed and crawled towards Sam like a hungry lion stalking its prey.

Sam had always known that his brother was pure sex. Dean never took pains to hide the fact that he could and in fact _did_ have every woman that showed an interest in him. Sam had hated each and every one of the damn hussies, hated that they had his brother in ways that only existed in his own sick fantasies. But now, watching Dean prowl towards him, sex pouring off of him in waves, in every little movement, Sam felt his mouth go dry with intense desire.

Using his thumb Dean slowly stroked Sam's lower lip, loving the shudder of pure need that went through his baby brother at the touch. "So long Sammy, for so long I've been wanting and waiting, fighting the urge to finally claim what is mine and only mine.” He cupped Sam’s chin with his hand and looked straight into his eyes. “And now that time has come."

Sam knew he should fight what he was feeling; he knew that their growing attraction was wrong. They were brothers! But he had waited so long for this moment to finally happen, never once thinking that Dean would return his feelings.

"My Sammy, my beautiful baby boy," Dean purred as he pressed his body flush against Sam's, pleased to see the lust slowly building in Sam's eyes.

It was the use of his old nickname that had Sam shuddering with need; being called baby boy by Dean was far hotter than it should have been. "Dean, kiss me please," Sam begged.

Their lips met in a searing kiss fueled by need too long denied and by pure possessiveness on Dean's part; he was making sure that there was no doubt left in Sam's mind about just who he belonged to. Sam whimpered into the kiss submitting completely and wholly to Dean, letting his brother know that he wanted this as much as he did.

Without breaking the kiss, Dean expertly manhandled Sam backwards to the centre of the bed the older man loomed over him looking for all the world like a hungry tiger ready to devour him at the first opportunity. Sam shivered in pure need as he felt his brother’s hot breath on his skin.

As for Dean he was going to do everything possible to make sure that in the end Sam remembered nothing but his name as he made his baby brother fall completely apart beneath him.

Tonight was the night that he finally claimed his mate.

*******

Bobby Singer was, in a word, pissed off. In fact, he was absolutely livid and he was sure there was a vein in his forehead pulsing away madly as he stared at someone making himself at home on his motel bed, someone he was sure he and his boys had already killed. Add to that the unknown and silent man in the trench coat who just stood and stared off into the distance, although Bobby would bet his life that the man was aware of every inch and every nuance of the room. The odd man gave Bobby the creeps and he really wasn't sure if he wanted to know who the stranger was. "Aren't you supposed to be dead, Loki?" Bobby demanded in a condescending voice.

The guy in the trench coat immediately focussed on the bed and tilted his head a confused look in his eyes. "Why does he call you Loki? That is not your name."

Loki sighed. "I was hiding, Castiel, so it would be safe to assume that I wouldn't be using my real name. But things have changed rather dramatically so allow me to introduce myself: I am Gabriel the Archangel and this is my baby brother, Castiel. There is no easy way to say this but your boys are in more trouble than you might think."

Bobby could only stare in utter amazement at the men while next to him Rufus blinked with bewilderment; neither man was sure of what they should think of the news they'd just been told.

"Bullshit! There ain't no such things as angels,” Rufus scoffed. “If there was the how come no hunter’s met one of you before?" he demanded to know. "Ain't you supposed to be looking after and protecting humanity? Damn crappy job, if you ask me! Where the hell have you all been?"

This was not exactly the discussion that Gabriel wanted to have at this moment, but they didn't really have a choice; he needed at least Bobby on his side. Sighing deeply, the archangel began, "God has checked out a long time ago and my brothers and sisters don't really care about humanity anymore; they are all single-mindedly focused on the upcoming apocalypse. The reason Dean's deal was so much shorter than the others was because he is the righteous man who will break the first seal and Sam is being groomed to break the last one.

“Unfortunately, something has gone terribly wrong and Dean hasn't been following the script he was given. Castiel here was supposed to be the one to raise Dean from hell only when he got there he found that Dean was already gone. Turns out Dean Winchester is topside and he has raised an army of demons that respond immediately to his command," Gabriel explained.

Shocked by what he’d just heard, Bobby took a sharp intake of breath and struggled to control his temper. "There is no way Dean would work with demons, he hates their kind!” Bobby spat out.

"Not even to save Sam?" Gabriel raised a knowing eyebrow. "We both know that there is _nothing_ that Dean wouldn't do if it meant keeping Sam safe, even if means becoming the new King of Hell and starting his own version of the apocalypse.” The archangel paused for a moment to let his words sink in and to give Bobby a chance to speak, but he remained simply stared in stunned silence. “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you but that is exactly what’s happening out there. The demons are falling all over themselves to be a part of Dean’s new world! The Winchesters are the best hunters since Samuel Colt and now they’re working for the demon side? It's party time for the entire underworld. Sam, that's the only thing that Dean cares about anymore, the belief that one day he would be reunited with his brother, that Sam belonged to him, was the one thing that stuck with him during his time in hell.”

"Then Sam's in danger and we have to save him!" Rufus could see the toll this was taking on Bobby, after all, hearing the terrible details about how the boy he had had a hand in raising was going to end the world couldn't be easy to take.

"No, I’m sorry but that is not going to happen.” Gabriel shook his head decisively. “As I said, the one thing that Dean clung to, the only way he kept his sanity no matter what torture he was forced to endure, was the fact that Sam Winchester belonged to him. He's claiming Sam as his mate even as we speak. Taking Sam away from Dean is a death sentence for the man and honestly, the other angels are already gunning for Sam. They have decided that if they can't have Dean then they want to twist Sam to meet their needs.” Gabriel hoped that his next words would show Bobby how serious the situation truly was. “I’m sorry to say it but right now the safest place on earth for Sam is with Dean."

The idea of leaving Sam alone with a demon made Bobby sick to his stomach even if that demon was Dean. However, the more he thought about the situation and its potential dangers the more he had to agree that Gabriel probably had a valid point. It was a well-known fact that when it came to Sam Winchester, human Dean was one possessive bastard and he for one dreaded to think of what demon Dean would do to keep his Sam safe. Finally Bobby’s shoulders slumped in defeat as he admitted, "It doesn't look like we have much of a choice."

There was one thing that didn't make sense to Rufus. "Wait just a minute; there’s something I don't understand. You said that Castiel was sent down to hell to rescue Dean but he was already free and back on earth, and that now he has an army of demons following him, right? Why would they take orders from him?"

 “Because Dean Winchester is the new King of Hell," Castiel informed them in a flat tone.

Gabriel rolled his eyes with exasperation; that wasn't how he had planned on breaking such devastating news to them and he could see the tension appear in the two hunters. "Well you were bound to find out sooner or later, although I would have preferred later. Yes, Dean Winchester is now the King of Hell. Believe me when I tell you that he is not your Dean anymore. The man who came out of hell has been twisted, his values and belief system destroyed, until all that matters to him now is Sam. He went to hell to save his brother's soul and now he is willing to destroy it to return to Sam."

It was in that moment that the hunters finally realised just how truly serious and downright dangerous the situation was.

Bobby wearily scrubbed his hand over his face and looked at Gabriel. "What do you suggest we do?" he growled out in a low tone.

"For now? Nothing, all we can do is wait and see what Dean has planned," Gabriel advised them; he’d never felt so helpless before.


	5. Chapter 5

Sam lay in the big bed relishing the warmth under the covers while he stared up at the ceiling. His body felt wonderfully sore and there wasn’t an inch of him didn't feel properly and thoroughly used and he loved it. Dean had claimed him in every possible way the night before and he was sure that the only reason Dean had finally stopped was because Sam was simply too tired to continue.

Having been awake for several hours just watching Sam sleep, staring at his mate, memorising every feature of his face – _‘My very own Sleeping Beauty,’_ he’d murmured at one point – and every sound he made, Dean knew immediately when Sam began to wake. When Sam turned and the bedcovers shifted, Dean could see the marks that now littered Sam's skin and pride shone brightly in the older man’s eyes at the sight. When the King introduced his new mate and Royal Consort, everyone would know that Sam Winchester had been claimed and that he belonged solely to Dean.

"Have a good night, Sammy?" Dean asked as he lowered his head and took Sam's lips in a possessive kiss, one that Sam melted into willingly and enthusiastically.

The kiss continued on until the intense need for air finally forced them to break apart but when Sam tried to renew the kiss, Dean reluctantly pulled back out of reach. The time had come for them to talk because there were things that Sam needed to know.

Dean made himself comfortable on the bed and tugged Sam onto his lap, “Come here, you delicious boy,” wrapping his arms around him making sure he couldn't get away. "Alright, baby boy, it's time I start telling you what you want to know. I know your main burning question is how I got out of hell…” Sam nodded vehemently, “…but I want you to promise me that you won't blame yourself for anything I’m about to say, all right?" Dean knew his brother well, better than anyone else in the world for that matter, and once he told Sam what he had done there was no doubt in his mind that Sam would place the blame squarely on his own shoulders.

Worried about what he might hear Sam didn't know if he could make that promise and keep it. It was entirely his fault that Dean had been sent to hell and that responsibility weighed so very heavily on his soul, he didn’t know if he could bear any more. Slowly and sadly he shook his head. "I can't promise you that Dean, not when we both know it's a lie! It's my fault you were sent to hell! It's all my fault, everything you suffered through down there was because you tried to save me.” He twisted in his brother’s arms so he could look Dean in the eye.

“Why don't you hate me, Dean? Why don't you blame me? I failed in saving you! You _should_ hate me, just like I hate myself!" Sam cried out vehemently, not understanding why his brother still loved him. Dean should be thoroughly disgusted with him, not holding him gently in his arms like he was the most important person in the world.

"Damn it Sammy, enough!" Dean growled out as Sam continued to struggle with his conscience; he could see the weight of his brother’s guilt and the devastating effect it was having on Sam. He gave Sam’s shoulders a brief shake; “Now you listen to me, Sam Winchester! Even if I wanted to blame you, how could I when you clearly blame yourself enough for the both of us. You need to understand, Sam, that I went to hell willingly, I couldn't live without you and there is nothing I won't do to keep you safe, Sammy. You are the only thing that truly matters in my life. There is nothing and no one that I would put above you; I would choose you in a heartbeat. I chose to take the deal because I couldn't live without you; when thought I’d lost you forever I barely survived three days, but you my boy, you held yourself together for four months." There was an element of undeniable pride in Dean’s voice at the last statement.

"But I didn't, Dean! I was… _am_ a mess without you. I allowed Ruby to get me addicted to demon blood because she told me it would make me stronger, strong enough to either save you or to tear Lilith apart piece by piece. I’ve forgotten at times what it’s to be human because of my addiction. Oh Dean, the things I have done to try and save you have left marks on my soul, the kind I may never recover from! I was never worth you damning yourself to save me. Dean, I’m sorry, but I am a freak, nothing more, one that you would be better off without." Sam let out a choked sob as he struggled to get out of his brother’s loving hold. He could feel his heart breaking and he wasn't sure he would survive if Dean were to walk away from him, not after finally having had a taste of him.

Without warning Sam found himself flat on his back with Dean hovering above him his eyes flashing with untamed rage and his lips pulled back in a snarl. "Don't you _dare_ talk about yourself like that! You are my baby brother and more importantly you are my mate, I will never be better off without you. I would die over and over again if it meant keeping you safe!”

Sam found Dean’s incredible passion overwhelming and even a bit of a turn-on; he could feel his body starting to respond to the raw power on display, radiating from Dean. However he still struggled to accept that what his brother was saying was the truth.

“You have to understand, Sam, there ain't no me if there ain't no you.” Dean tightened his grip on his brother’s shoulders. “The only thing that kept me going during all those months on the rack and under Alistair's hands was the thought of getting back to you. That bitch Ruby made you do things but she ain't got _nothing_ on Alistair. I've got much more blood on my hands and staining my soul then you will ever have. So don't you dare start calling yourself a freak and putting yourself down, because I won't stand for it, I won’t! You hear me? This kind of a talk stops now, understand?" Dean snarled fiercely.

Sam choked back a sob because despite Dean's heartfelt words he couldn't get over the guilt that it was all his fault that Dean had suffered so much. "I'm so sorry Dean, for everything. How can I make this right? I need to make this right."

Unable to resist the pleading look in his brother’s eyes, Dean sighed and released his bruising grip on Sam’s arms. He knew that Sam wouldn't be able to let it go until he’d made up for his supposed failings and while it killed Dean to see Sam blaming himself. However, he also knew his little brother well and so Dean was going to have to play this smart. Changing his tactics, the older man gently stroked his brother’s face. "Sam, the only thing I want from you is for you to willingly agree to stay with me, as my everything."

Sam could only blink up at Dean in pure wonder; after everything he’d done, Dean still wanted him? He could hardly wrap his mind around it. "Of course, Dean! There is no place that I would rather be than by your side. But there has to be _something_ I can do to make it things right with you, please, there has to be something, anything." Sam looked up at Dean coyly, " _Anything_."

A groan of sexual frustration fell from Dean's lips as he struggled not to give in to the urge to take what Sam was so freely offering, but he wouldn't… he _couldn’t_ hurt his baby boy like that. "Sammy, trust me; I would love to go for a bit of the rough stuff with you but you’re nowhere ready for that, not yet anyway." Dean chuckled at the slight sound of disappointment that escaped Sam's lips and he couldn't help but lower his lips and brush then across Sam's.

Trying to change Dean’s mind, Sam pressed his pelvis upward, connecting with the other man’s crotch in an attempt to change his mind.

Dean chuckled again. "Later, baby boy, when you’re stronger, I promise.” He softened his rejection with another kiss before drawing back and looking seriously into Sam’s eyes. “But there is something you can help me with right now. Ruby needs to pay for what she did to you; help me find her. She hurt you, my baby boy, when she got you addicted to demon blood, and worse she played on your desire to save me. Trust me when I say that Ruby wasn't trying to help you to save me, that was never part of her plan for you. No, there is something much bigger at stake than you know."

Sam blinked at Dean wondering what he was talking about but trusted Dean to tell him what he meant later. He shook his head sadly as he confessed, "I don't know where Ruby is. She always knew when I needed my next fix and she would get in contact with me. I'm sorry, Dean." Sam hated the fact that he couldn't help out Dean when he needed it the most.

Cupping Sam's face with his hands Dean made sure that Sam was looking into his eyes. "Hey, it's not your fault, now stop blaming yourself, you can't control a demon, think nothing of it. Now why don't you rest some more while I go round us up something to eat?"

Sam nodded; he could use something to eat if his stomach growling was anything to go by.

“Good, because believe me, baby boy, you are going to need it,” Dean growled low in his throat, his eyes flashing with fiery heat as he hungrily dragged his gaze over his brother’s body, loving the fact that despite everything they had done last night, Sam could still blush. It pleased him to know that despite the kind of life they lived that Sam still managed to hold onto his innocence, that fact only made him only even hotter and sexier in Dean's eyes.

Sam found himself blushing deeper at the hungry look in Dean's eyes, for so long he had longed to have Dean see him as more than his baby brother and now his dreams and fantasies had come true. "Maybe food could wait for a little bit longer?" Sam whispered as he lifted his head and nipped at Dean's lower lip.

Dean groaned low in his throat; it was oh-so tempting to take Sam up on what he was offering, to bury himself in his mate and make them forget the rest of the world. But instead he just shook his head regretfully; he had a demon to hunt down even if saying no to Sam was so very hard to do. "No Sammy, eat first then I will bring you back to bed and do all kinds of things to you, I promise. I have a whole list of things I have yet do to you, and I need you feed to keep up your stamina," Dean purred shifting to claim Sam's lips in a lustful and rough kiss.

At this point Sam could really have cared less about food, he wanted to hear more about this list of fantasies of that Dean confessed to possessing, but he knew that his big brother would refuse if he thought that Sam needed to eat. He grabbed a hold of Dean’s head, trying to prolong their kiss but Dean easily broke free, proving his point that Sam was still weak and needed sustenance.

“Later baby boy, I promise once your belly is stuffed I will gladly stuff you another way,” Dean purred the promise against Sam’s lips as he ended the kiss.

_‘I really shouldn’t find that as hot as I do,’_ Sam thought feeling his face heat up.

Dean smiled down at Sam. “Don’t ever lose that innocence you have, Sammy and I will do my best to keep you safe from all harm.” Dean was determined that no one would ever get the chance to hurt his Sam again; he would burn of all of heaven and hell if he had to in order to keep that promise.

******

Ruby had lived a long life and as a result, she wasn’t a fool; she knew she was at the top of Dean’s hit list. “I can't believe that I’m being forced to do this,” she hissed angrily into the silence around her. “Seeking aid from the hunters sends chills down my spine and makes me feel sick to my stomach.” But the truth of the matter was she needed help, desperately. Dean had some pretty big players backing him and she was going to need all the protection she could get even if it came from her enemies.

Drawing a deep breath to steady herself, Ruby loudly demanded, “Singer! Open up, this body isn’t going to get any younger!” She was unable to approach the house any closer, knowing full well that Bobby had it warded against every possible threat that he could think of.

Inside Bobby’s place he and Rufus exchanged looks as the strange voice. “Any clue as to who the hell that is? Rufus asked as he peered cautiously out the window.

Bobby shook his head. “No bloody idea and most visitors know to call instead of just dropping on by. Watch my back as I go find out just who the hell this is,” Bobby ordered as he grabbed his shotgun; there was no way that he was going out there without some kind of protection.

Raising his own gun Rufus followed behind Bobby.

“About damn time! What were you doing in there, painting your nails?” Ruby sneered openly even though her little voice was telling her to shut up and stop antagonising the people she needed help from.

Bobby’s eyes narrowed as everything about this woman set off his hunter instincts; they were screaming at him to shoot her, _‘shoot her now!’_ “Well I’m sorry, princess, that I had more important things to deal with than you. Now why don’t you start with just who the hell you are?”

An exaggerated pout appeared on Ruby’s face. “I’m hurt that you don’t remember me, Bobby, especially after I helped you, Sam and Dean out a couple of months ago. You would be dead if it wasn’t for my knife, remember?” Ruby reminded him letting her eyes turn black.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Bobby growled as he stared into the jet black eyes of the one demon he longed to sink his own knife into more than any other.

“I need your help; it would seem that I am currently at the top of Dean’s hit list.” Admitting that she needed help from anyone, much less two hunters, left a distasteful and bitter sensation in her mouth and she was unable to stop herself from making a face.

“Now why in the world would I want to help you? After the games you played with me and my boys? I should turn you over to Dean myself!” Bobby snapped at the demon.

“You owe me, Singer; I turned my back on my kind to keep you and the Winchesters safe! I sided with you against Lilith!” Ruby knew that she had a slim chance of getting Bobby’s help but she was just desperate enough to try. “I might even have information you’re going to need.”

“I know all about the apocalypse. I know about Dean’s role in it, a rather chatty archangel has been slipping the beans but what I don’t know is what your role is in it or why you were so interested in Sam. But you see I have a theory if Dean was supposed to be the champion for the angels, then Sam was meant to play a rolefor your side, what was it?” Bobby didn’t like the idea of anyone playing around with the two boys he thought of as his own.

Ruby wasn’t in the mood to place nice. “Fine, you want to know what I was doing with your precious little Sammy? I was getting him ready to be the vessel for Lucifer. There is only one perfect vessel for each of the Archangels and Sam belongs to Lucifer. and Nothing and no one, certainly not Dean, will keep him from claiming your precious baby boy!” Ruby snarled viciously at Bobby, a sneering smirk twisting her face. “Yeah, that’s what I thought; well now you know the truth. Sam was chosen to be my father’s host, to be the vessel he will now call home. He has been waiting for Sam for so long and now nothing will stop Lucifer’s return to earth from happening.”

Feeling quite superior at the moment, a shark-like smile graced Bobby’s face. “Oh my dear, you are _so_ wrong. You see, Dean didn’t follow your little plan, he’s no longer their righteous man, he fell for Sam and that boy already hated you before he was dragged to hell. Given all that, I sure as hell don’t want to be you when Dean finds you.” The smile left Bobby’s face and was replaced with a feral grin that went nowhere near his eyes.

“Now I suggest you get the hell off of my property before I summon one of the angels who are watching over this place.” Bobby levelled his gun at Ruby, pulled back the hammer and let his finger rest on the trigger. “And don’t you ever think that there is anything on this god damn planet that would ever make me turn away from those boys,” Bobby warned.

Knowing full well that there wouldn’t be any help from Bobby, Ruby took her leave with what little dignity she had left.

Rufus came to stand beside Bobby; his gun was lowered but the safety still off, one could never be too careful with a demon. “Are we really just going to let her go?”

“Hell yeah, she’s got bigger problems than worrying about us. She messed with Sam and when you mess with Sam, nothing will stop Dean from making you pay and that was _before_ he turned to the dark side. God only knows what’s going to happen when he gets his hands on her. No, we are not her biggest worry.” Bobby pointed that out with a gleeful twitch of his eyebrow and when put like that Rufus almost wanted to feel sorry for the demon but it was only for a fleeting moment and then he shared Bobby’s grin.

******

It hadn't been easy for Dean to find the strength necessary to leave Sam sleeping alone in their bed, the sight of Sam's kiss-swollen lips, his skin covered in Dean's marks was almost too tempting to resist. The only thing covering Sam's bare body from Dean's hungry gaze was a single sheet twisted about Sam's long legs and barely covered the lower half of Sam's body. It was truly a hard sight to walk away from but Dean somehow managed to do so through sheer force of will.

He had kept his promise to Sam and made sure his baby boy had been taken care of; he had held back for so long that he was a little afraid that he had worn Sam out, but that was actually a good thing. With him sleeping so soundly Dean would more than enough time to start the search for Ruby. “I don’t care how long it takes I will find you and I will end you.” Dean vowed, even if it took him until the end of time he would see that bitch pay.


	6. Chapter 6

_One month later_

If Bobby was surprised to see Ellen and Jo at his door he hid it rather well and after making sure that both women passed the holy water test he invited them in.

It didn't take long to find out why they were there.

Ellen plopped herself down on the sofa and got right to the point. "I'm getting calls from hunters, Bobby, a lot of calls and very few were pleasant. Dean, or that thing that’s wearing Dean's face, is like nothing they have ever seen and he's leaving a trail of destruction and bodies in his wake. He's on an extremely focussed hunt and he isn't going to stop until he finds whatever it is he's looking for," she explained as she raised her glass in salute and then downed her shot.

With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Bobby turned to the two angels that had been hanging about his house for the last month. They had been helping in the search for the Winchesters but every lead that they managed to come up with ended up cold or a dead end. Wherever Dean and Sam were it was next to impossible to find them. "Any idea of what or who Dean is looking for? Like say a certain demon that screwed them over?”

For the first time since they had met him Castiel looked uncomfortable and it took several seconds before he could look Bobby in the eye. "The power that lies within Samuel Winchester is not enough to defeat Lilith so plans were made to give him what you people would call a boost." Castiel had never questioned Heaven’s orders before but now, after spending a month with Bobby and seeing his genuine concern for the well-being of Dean and Sam, he had found himself re-addressing just who Sam Winchester was.

Ellen glared at Castiel, not caring that he was an angel; she cared for the boys and didn't like anyone messing with them. "What kind of boost?" she growled out.

Seated next to her mother and nursing her drink, Jo nodded her head. "I would answer her question before she starts testing ways to hurt your kind," she advised the angel. Not that she would blame her mom if she did act out; hell, she would gladly hold the bastards down while her mom gutted them.

Refusing to be intimidated, Castiel stood his ground, although he did not look happy as he informed them, "The demon Ruby was instructed to get Sam addicted to demon blood, which she did. It was hoped that Sam’s dependence on her would help drive the brothers apart but Dean Winchester is no longer the same man who went to hell. He was able to rescue and regain control over his brother and now we believe that he is feeding Sam his own blood, which is very bad, perhaps even worse than when Ruby was his source."

"No kidding it's bad! What were you idgits drinking when you thought getting Sam addicted to demon blood was a good idea? Did you really think Dean, Bobby or I would turn away from Sam? The more I hear about your brilliant plan the happier I am that Dean screwed it all up!” Ellen slammed her empty shot glass down on the table and turned her attention to Bobby, demanding, “So I take it Dean is hunting for this Ruby?"

The older hunter nodded his head. “I know so. About a month ago she came here looking for… well, I don’t know for sure because she didn’t actually ask us, but I think she was looking for protection. Naturally we sent her packing. We know that Dean has hated her from the start and now there’s nothing holding him back from ending her,” Bobby explained.

“So Dean’s really gone to the dark side?” Jo asked feeling her heart being crushed; she had always had a thing for Dean but knew she never really stood a chance with him. Regardless, she liked still him and Sam and the last thing she wanted was to end up fighting against them.

Gabriel snatched a chocolate cake from the plate a split second before Rufus could take it and held it out to Jo. “Sorry kid-o, but it looks like that’s the case. From what we’ve been able to gather, the angels who know that Dean has gone to the demon side are definitely keeping it under wraps that Michael’s vessel has gone Darth Vader,” Gabriel explained.

Castiel tilted his head a puzzled look on his face. “I do not understand, what is a Darth Vader?”

Rufus shook his head sadly. “Someone please sit him down and make him watch the _good_ Star Wars movies!” while under his breath he mumbled, “How can anyone not know who Darth Vader is?”

Knowing what an unbelievable Star Wars geek Rufus was, Bobby, Ellen and Jo just ignored him focusing on the angels instead. “Is there anyone who could be foolish enough to try and make a deal with Dean for help in finding Ruby?” Ellen asked with a raised eyebrow.

Horrified looks instantly appeared on Castiel and Gabriel’s faces. “Zachariah! He would do anything to make sure that this apocalypse happens. He would not be above making a deal to protect Ruby and then turning around and double-crossing her by handing her over to Dean for another deal.” Gabriel couldn’t believe that he’d missed Zachariah. “We need to find him now!” and with a flutter of their massive wings they were gone.

“Am I the only one who actually hopes that Dean takes out both this bitch Ruby _and_ this jackass Zachariah?” Ellen asked as she waved her empty glass at Rufus.

Jo, Bobby and Rufus couldn’t see a fault in her point and given how dangerous this new Dean was, he just might.

******

Zachariah tried not to flinch as the twisted soul of Dean Winchester entered the bar he had taken over just so that they could hold this little meeting in private.

“Okay, I’m here, now what the hell is so important that you had to call me away from my Sammy?” Dean demanded angrily; he didn’t like being summoned like a servant or being pulled away from his time with his mate.

Refusing to rise to Dean’s bait, Zachariah smiled ever so graciously. “I’m so sorry for disturbing you,” he said mockingly in an unctuous, oily voice that would have been perfectly at home with a used car salesman, “but I have a little gift for you.” He snapped his fingers and two angels appeared seemingly out of nowhere with Ruby trapped between them.

Judging by the pure fury pouring from Ruby’s eyes, if looks could kill Zachariah would be one rotting corpse of a dead angel. Thankfully one of her captors had been smart enough to stuff a gag in Ruby’s mouth and he had the bitten fingers to prove he did it. Struggling as hard as she could in the tight grasp of the two angels, the demon snarled viciously behind her gag, calling the man every foul, obscene and profane name in the demon handbook. She should have never trusted the damn angels but she had had little choice, figuring that being on the side of good they would protect her from the new King of Hell. That and they wanted Lucifer freed as much as she did.

Raking his gaze over Ruby from head to toe, Dean’s eyes glowed with barely concealed excitement as a smirk grew on his face. “Now this _is_ a rather thoughtful gift, what’s the catch?” Dean demanded to know without taking his eyes off of Ruby.

“Oh nothing too much, a trifling matter really, but I thought you’d be the perfect man for the job. I just need you to kill Lilith and open the rest of the seals,” Zachariah informed him calmly.

“Hmm, that is a very tempting request, I must say.” A very thoughtful look came over Dean’s face as he slowly circled Ruby, wisely making sure to keep a healthy distance from her. "Tell you what, I agree to kill Lilith and open your seals and in return you will agree to leave Sam and me alone. After that the world can burn for all I care. I take it that _is_ what you want me to say, right? I mean, that’s the whole reason you called this little conference," Dean asked as he made himself at home on one of the barstools. He didn’t miss the look of surprise that passed quickly over Zachariah’s face.

Zachariah could only stare in angry curiosity at the twisted version of their righteous man and he fought the urge to snarl at the farce that had once been the perfect vessel for Michael. This wasn't supposed to happen; Dean wasn't supposed to come back from hell like this. _'At least we have the youngest Winchester so all hope is not lost,'_ the angel tried to salvage something good from the recent turn of events. Placing his most sincere smile on his face he flat out lied to Dean, after all he couldn't agree to keeping Lucifer's vessel from him, "That would be nice, so I take it we have a deal after all."

Unable to control himself any longer, Dean let out a choked bark of laughter at that. "I don't do deals with douchebag angels who seek to harm my mate. I don't think so."

Biting the inside of his lip, Zachariah held his temper; he refused to let anything get to him, now when he was so close to achieving his goal. After all, there was nothing to fear from humans, they were nothing but inferior beings to be crushed underfoot like bugs but now, staring into the eyes of the man before him and seeing twisted soul that was once Dean Winchester staring back out at him, the angel felt a trickle of fear slide down his spine.

There was a very good reason why Dean had been destined to be Michael's vessel just as there was a very good reason why the name Winchester was the thing of nightmares. "Well then, Mr Winchester, I believe we have nothing left to discuss. I suggest you let yourself out…" Zachariah’s sneer was both satisfied and malicious as he finished by saying, “…without your gift.”

The angel and his minions were too busy gloating over the fact that they’d beaten a Winchester that none of them ever saw Dean move until it was too late. Dean would later admit that he really rather enjoyed stabbing Zachariah with his own angel blade and he smiled with delight when the angel looked down in pure disbelief and shock at the sight of his blade sticking out of his chest.

"You didn't really think I was going to let you live, did you? Alistair made sure I knew everything you had planned for my Sammy, how you were going to use him to open the last seal and start the apocalypse, so I know all about how you were going to place all that guilt on my Sammy. Well let me tell you right now, you sanctimonious bastard, that isn't going to happen!" Dean snarled. He reached out and gave the blade a final twist and then backed away and covered his eyes as the light filled the room as Zachariah was killed.

Once the light faded Dean turned his attention to the two lesser angels who were frozen in place with matching looks of horror and fear on their faces. “Do you really want to chance it, boys?” Dean asked with a feral grin.

The two angels shared a look as they released Ruby, throwing her in Dean’s direction before they disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"Well hello, Ruby," Dean purred in a silky tone as he slowly stalked towards the demon who had dared to touch his brother and a smirk crossed his face as Ruby fell to the floor in an ungraceful heap, unable to support her own weight. Dean risked getting bitten when he bent down and removed the gag from her mouth.

After spitting and coughing against the dryness in her mouth and throat, the demon looked at him with calculating eyes. "Dean, so the rumours are true, you are back from hell. Seen your baby brother yet? I have," Ruby murmured in her most alluring, seductive voice, hoping to use her relationship with Sam to drive the brothers apart. “He’d absolutely delicious, isn’t he? Or haven’t you tasted him yet?” and she let out a rich, throaty laugh.

The bark of laughter that escaped Dean sent shivers running up and down Ruby's skin. "Oh I've seen Sammy." The grin that Dean flashed her was a mixture of sex and possessiveness. "And he's looking good, but then you already knew that, didn't you?" Dean growled out, his whole demure changing into the hunter he truly was. He licked his lips, “and now that he’s been cleansed of your filthy demon blood and your disgusting scent, he tastes… dare I say it?” he flashed a feral grin, “He tastes heavenly,” and Dean chuckled heartily at his joke.

Ruby’s eyes stayed locked on Dean as she climbed to her feet, a task made all the more difficult because her hands were tied behind her back. She stood, trying not to sway as she wearily watched him slowly circle around her, her eyes were sharp and she hoped her reflexes were too. She wasn't a fool; she knew that he was waiting for the right moment to strike. "So what if I did? Poor little Sammy needed someone to look after him after you deserted him and he was so willing to accept my help that he was begging me." Ruby licked her lips, leaving no doubt as to just what kind of help she had been giving Sam.

A mixture of absolute disgust and pure hatred appeared in Dean's green eyes. "You make me sick, preying on my Sammy when he was at his lowest, but that's what you wanted, wasn't it? You knew that with me in hell you had the perfect chance to sink your claws into Sammy. But here's the thing, Ruby, whatever games you were playing with Sam are over, forever. I'm topside now and Sam is back where he belongs, with me."

The meaning of Dean's words was not lost on Ruby and she made a face at Dean, resorting to sticking her face out like a naughty child. "It didn't take you long to move in, did it, but then again the way Sam was begging for it, he’d be willing to spread his legs for any pretty face that came along and offered in a kiss. Honesty, you’d think as your brother he’d be a better whore.”

Ruby could honestly say that she never saw Dean move; one minute she had been staring into his darkening eyes and the next she was pinned to the wall with a knife coated in holy water buried into her shoulder.

"Did you just call my brother a whore?" Dean's voice was a low growl, one that screamed danger at anyone who heard it. "Not only did you turn him into an addict but you also tried to make him your whore."

"Well he certainly begs so prettily like one." Ruby bit out, grinding her teeth around the pain; she knew full well that she was playing a dangerous game with Dean.

A dark smirk appeared on Dean's face. "Oh that he does and he falls apart so beautifully when he’s under me and filled with me, just like he was made to be; I think that’s proof enough that he belongs to me and me alone, don’t you?” He smirked knowingly, “Tell me, Ruby, how many times did Sam cry out my name while he was buried deep inside of you? How often do you suppose he was thinking of me and picturing my face while you lay beneath him?”

Anger and shame warred in Ruby’s eyes as she looked away from Dean’s gloating face. Sam had never once spoken her name, only Dean’s during sex; she’d never experienced that before. She had always been the centre of attention with all her other lovers but no matter what she did for or with Sam, he’d only ever called out his brother’s name when he climaxed.

Dean grabbed hold of Ruby’s chin and forced her to look at him. “You can call Sam as whore all you want but you were nothing but a doll, no better than a cheap plastic blow-up sex doll, one that Sam happily, knowingly and willingly used. He did everything to save me, even hooking up with you; I am first and foremost in Sam's mind, I am his whole world, just as he is mine." Dean's eyes flickered black for a moment.

"What are you?" Ruby asked in horror as she stared at the man who was once Dean; he wasn't the hunter that had gone down to hell, this was a twisted version of him and he terrified her.

Dean's smirk turned into a purely wicked smile. "Oh you mean you haven't heard? There's a new King of Hell, baby and you're looking at him. So you're little plan to use my baby brother ain't happening."

It took all the courage and determination she possessed, but Ruby refused to scowl and let Dean know that he was right; however, she didn't needn’t have bothered with the effort judging from the smug smile he sent her way. Then a thought struck her, maybe there was something she could offer Dean Winchester that was worth enough to save herself. "I'm not the only one after Sammy."

Dean shook his head a smile playing at his lips. "Bargaining, Ruby? Really? I can't believe that you’ve come to this. Sorry to tell you, Ruby, but you've got nothing to bargain with; you see I already know all about the angels and I’ll be dealing with them after I have dealt with you."

Ruby froze and for a moment Dean could see real, honest fear in her eyes and he smiled at his success. "Oh yeah Ruby, I took over hell and so this whole using Sam break the final seal by killing Lilith thing is over. That was why you were so damn eager to get your claws into him, to get him addicted to drinking demon blood, wasn’t it. Well let me tell you something sweetheart, the only blood or other fluids that Sam will be drinking from now on will be coming from me!" Dean growled.

"Now I do believe it’s time to make you bleed, I've been looking forward to this moment for a very long time.” Dean rubbed his hands together gleefully. “I promise that I’m going to show you and you alone, Ruby, everything I learned in hell; I am after all Alistair's prized student. But not here; I don’t want anyone to find us.” Dean grabbed Ruby by the arm and instantly disappeared.

A mere second after they were gone Castiel and Gabriel appeared in the empty bar. “Well it appears that we are too late. Damn it to hell! Zachariah, what were you thinking?” Gabriel growled under his breath as he took in the burnt outline of angel wings on the bar floor.

Castiel glanced around the room. “There were demons here,” he commented mildly.

“Yep, and you can bet Dean now has a certain demon in his possession. Man, Dean-o, you really aren’t holding back anymore, are you? Heaven help us if you decided to side with Lucifer,” Gabriel murmured.

That thought sent a violent shudder of dread right through Castiel. “Should we return to Bobby’s and inform the hunters of this revelation?”

Gabriel took another look at the outline of his fallen brother and nodded his head. “Yeah, we should. There’s nothing here for us.”

******

Ruby wasn't sure how long it had been, it might have been hours or days or even months, but her voice was wrecked from screaming. She had been in hell before and she’d done her time on the rack but what she had experienced then was nothing compared to what Dean was taking so much pleasure in doing to her. "Please, please just kill me," she begged hoarsely. She couldn't take anymore, every nerve ending in her body was screaming in pain and she just wanted it to end. Death would be a blessedly welcome release from what she was going through at Dean's hands.

Thinking back Ruby realised she should have known that Dean would have a dungeon and a fully equipped one at that. She hung limply from the wall that Dean had shackled her to, she was unsure of how long she had been left alone, all she knew was that Dean only came down when he wanted to hurt her; she had to admit that he had learned his craft well. Exhausted, Ruby gave up trying to lift her head as she heard Dean whistling a jaunty tune as he walked back over to her;

Hearing Ruby begging for death made Dean angry and he decided that it was time yet again to show the demon who was in charge. "Sam is mine and I don't like the games you were playing with my baby brother but they end now and forever," Dean snarled at Ruby as he happily used her own knife to carve random designs into her skin. “So until I get my answers I won’t get tired of punishing you for what you did to him, which means you won’t be going anywhere,” Dean whispered in her ear.

Unseen by his brother, Sam had crept down into the dungeon and walked up behind him. “Dean, don’t you think that this has gone on long enough?” Sam asked wrapping his arms around Dean. He didn’t approve of what Dean had been doing to Ruby but he couldn’t go against his brother; he didn’t love Ruby, far from it actually, and even if he did feel anything for her it was nothing compared to the enormity and purity of what he felt for Dean. He had always harboured more than brotherly feelings for his brother; in fact, he had been in love with Dean for as long as he could remember. Dean had been his first crush, his first love, his soul mate, his absolute and eternal everything and that would never change, certainly not because of Ruby.

"She touched you, Sam, she fed you her blood knowing that it would get you addicted, she didn’t do it to help you, she did it because she was ordered to.” Dean wasn’t going to deny that he was even more possessive now than when he went under. Dean knew in his heart that he would willingly kill anyone human, angel or demon who tried to come between the two of them. Something primal had awoken within Dean and the only thing that mattered to him was his mate which meant keeping Sam safe no matter what. “And I want to know who is giving her the orders.”

Ruby knew that there would be no help coming from anyone; she sincerely doubted that anyone even knew where she was, much less cared. But it didn’t matter; Dean was so far gone down the path of darkness that he could never be redeemed and he was only dragging Sam down deeper with him. Summoning her strength Ruby said, “Lucifer, my father, is the one behind everything that has happened to Sam and you. And do what you want to me but sooner rather than later Sam _will_ belong to him.”

A snarl of pure animalist rage tore itself from Dean's lips as he raised Ruby’s knife over his head and stabbed her in the heart. “Sam is mine and nothing and no one will ever take him from me!” Dean vowed twisting the blade in the demon’s chest as lightning crackled violently between them and his eyes turned as black as obsidian as he watched the light fade from her eyes and she slumped lifelessly from the chains where she hung.

Releasing the blade Dean turned and slowly stalked towards Sam who had retreated from his brother’s anger, his eyes returned to their normal green as devoured every inch of his baby brother's body. He didn’t miss the way Sam had paled when he saw Ruby die or the way his hands were shaking as they hung limply by his sides. Reaching out Dean cupped Sam’s chin. “Hey, Sammy, look at me, baby boy,” Dean ordered and then he waited patiently for Sam to tear his gaze from the demon’s bloodied body and meet his eyes.

“This changes nothing, Sammy; you are mine just as I am yours. I don’t care what these douchebags have been planning, or what they think is going to happen but they’re dead wrong. The only ones who decide our destiny is us and no one, not Lucifer or any angel or archangel will never be able to take you away from me. You belong to me, Sammy, and that will never change.”

Sam wouldn’t deny that he’d felt numb when he’d heard Ruby’s words; learning that Lucifer had a serious interest in you was not an easy thing to accept but he also felt heartened knowing that Dean would never let anyone have him. “I know Dean, I’m yours and I belong only to you.”

Dean grinned. “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear, baby boy, so let’s get out of here, yeah? I’ve been ignoring you for too long to play with my little toy, what do you say I make it up to you?” Dean purred looping his fingers into Sam’s belt and tugging him forward so that every inch of their bodies touched.

Sam didn’t bother holding back his moan as he leaned into his brother. “That sounds perfect. I’ve missed you, Dean.”

Dean’s eyes flickered black as he moved in for a kiss. “Get ready, baby boy, cos I plan on making sure you forget everything but my name,” Dean purred seductively and with a thrill of lust shooting through his belly Sam believed him.

******

"Dean Winchester’s soul has been twisted beyond recognition from his time in hell. He is no longer a man but he isn't quite a demon yet, he is in the middle, still in transition. However, there is only one thing that has stuck with him from his human life and that is the undeniable belief that Sam Winchester belongs to him. He is no longer the perfect vessel for you, I’m sorry, but he has become corrupted,” an angel informed Michael.

The archangel never took his eyes off of the souls of John and Mary enjoying their heaven together; so much work had been put into this plan and now it all was unexpectedly falling apart all because no one had stopped to take into account that Dean and Sam were soul mates and that they would always – _always_ – chose one another over anything else. With a deep sigh, he turned to address his messenger.

“That is a disappointment but I know my brother and he is not going to give Sam up without a fight, at least we have a backup in John’s other son, Adam, he will have to do. For now we need to focus on opening the remaining seals,” Michael commanded and with a wave of the archangel’s hand the messenger disappeared. Yes this was a snag but he was absolutely determined to see that what his father had planned before he vanished came to pass.

******

Within his cage Lucifer grinned maniacally; Sam was Dean's, he knew that and he didn't mind that they came as a pair, _‘Just more fun for me!’_ He could feel the darkness that twisted Dean's soul like a living, breathing thing and the fact that Sam was his boy king… well, it was only a matter of time and he would have the two of them. "I can wait, Dean; sooner or later you two will be drawn to me. Sam may be your soul mate but he was made for me and sooner or later he will come to me. My perfect vessel and his own knight of hell, I couldn’t have planned it better myself.” He had waited this long for Sam; he could afford to wait a little longer. It would all be worth it in the end.

******

Bobby stared into the glass of whiskey his mind going a mile a minute as he once again processed everything that Gabriel and Castiel had told them about the current state of the Winchesters. “Damn it, boys, fate has really tried to screw you over hasn’t it? Guess they never learned that nothing comes between the two of you. I really hope it doesn’t end up us versus you, I don’t think my heart could take seeing you on the other side.” Bobby knew that the current situation was far from over and he didn’t want to lose any of his friends but he didn’t want to lose his boys either. He knew that with the brewing war that was a pipe dream, but he was just so tired of burning those he cared about and he didn’t want to add Dean and Sam to that list.

******

Dean slowly stroked Sam’s back as he glanced down at the younger man’s sleeping face, his mate using his chest as a pillow. "I know what you're thinking and it's never going to happen. Sammy is mine and only mine and I don't share with anyone. I will take on all and everyone, even the devil himself if it means keeping my Sammy safe.” Dean had given up too much to let anyone take Sam from him. He had already been forced to live his life without Sam in it once and he was never ever doing that again.

The End


End file.
